United States Congressman John Kline
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Pension reform will provide security and peace of mind for Minnesotans

Congress on the verge of completing pension bill


July 21, 2006


Earlier this week, I met with about 50 pilots and flight attendants from Northwest Airlines who chartered two flights to Washington.  They did a great job visiting Congressional offices of both parties to show the importance of passing the Pension Protection Act and emphasizing the urgency to get this done now.  I have made this point repeatedly to my colleagues in Congress, but it is always helpful when constituents visit Washington offices and conduct face-to-face meetings to personalize their message. 
 
The timing of their meetings may have provided the needed momentum for an agreement on pension legislation reform.  We are on the verge of completing the pension bill that will provide security and peace of mind for thousands of families across the southern Metro area, tens of thousands of Minnesotans, and tens of millions of Americans.
 
People have worked their entire lives for these pensions and nothing is more important than making sure these obligations are met.  This agreement will protect the interests of workers and retirees, as well as ensure that employers will continue to offer these benefits.
 
Both the House and Senate versions of the pension bill would require companies to better fund their pension plans.  But the Senate version of the pension legislation included much needed relief for the airline industry to extend their pension plan funding over a more manageable time period.  As Vice Chairman of the Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee and a conferee on the House-Senate Conference Committee, I have been working for more than a year to ensure that airline specific provisions are included in the final legislation.  About 9,100 Northwest Airlines (NWA) pension plan participants live in our Congressional District – 7,100 NWA employees and 2,000 NWA retirees.
 
Our district’s hard-working airline employees have serious concerns about the future of their pension plans, which is why I have fought for airline relief.  This pension reform will allow Northwest Airlines to emerge from bankruptcy a stronger company.
 
While pension reform is especially acute for NWA employees, it is equally important to many other Minnesotans and Americans.  We must pass this legislation to strengthen and modernize retirement pensions for all Americans covered by defined benefit plans, multi-employer plans, hybrid and cash balance plans.  To read more about the pension legislation, click here
 
Iraqi Security Forces take over province
With the media focus on the continued violence in Iraq, it is sometimes hard for good news to be heard.  For the first time since the war in Iraq began, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) took over security in a province. 
 
On July 13, the southern Iraqi province of Muthanna celebrated the handover of security responsibilities from coalition forces to Iraqi troops in a soccer stadium outside the provincial capital of Samawah… Beaming Iraqi soldiers walked hand in hand along the field’s fringes in the pleasant morning heat… “Yours is a peaceful province,” British Maj. Gen. John Cooper told the ISF.  “Muthanna is leading the way toward a peaceful and stable Iraq.” –  Newsweek (July 13)
 
Last month, I led a bipartisan Congressional delegation (CODEL) trip to Iraq and we assessed the progress of the unity government and the work being done by the ISF.  I was impressed to see the rapid progress of the Iraqi Army.  While there is still much work to be done, progress is being made in the war against Islamic extremists.  To view photos of my trip to Iraq (including my visit with Minnesota troops), click here.
 
Recent cosponsorships
A review of a few bills I recently cosponsored:
  • North American Wetlands Act: To continue supporting wetlands conservation, I cosponsored this bipartisan bill to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA).  Since 1989, NAWCA has successfully fostered hundreds of public-private partnerships to conserve more than 20 million acres of wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl, other migratory birds and wildlife.
  • 25-by-25 New Energy Visions for America: I cosponsored a bipartisan resolution that expresses our objective that the agriculture, forestry, and working land of the U.S. should provide at least 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the U.S. from renewable resources.  This resolution provides a needed target so we can develop a roadmap to achieve a new national goal.
  • Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act: In an effort to improve the efficiency in Washington, this bill (cosponsored by Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson) would abolish obsolete federal agencies and eliminate duplication among programs.  Each federal agency would be given an expiration date and must justify its current existence as well as its need for future funding, or face elimination.
News bulletins available on my web site
For current news and information, updated periodically, please visit my website’s News Center, and click on Bulletin.  One of the highlights this week is a report that Minnesota’s job growth in the second quarter of 2006 accounted for 10 percent of the nation’s overall job creation and was the highest quarterly gain in 22 years, according to Minnesota officials.  To read the story published in the Star Tribune, click here.
 
Congressman Kline’s Trivia Question of the Week:
 (Look for the answers in next week’s e-mail newsletter):
THIS WEEK’s QUESTION: What Minnesota county is hosting Farmfest 2006 (Aug. 1-3)?
A. Dakota County
B. Redwood County
C. Isanti County
D. St. Louis County
 
LAST WEEK’S ANSWER: Since the 2003 tax cuts, tax revenue to the federal government has increased by 35 percent.
 
Questions? Comments?
If you have any comments or questions about this week's Corner, click here to send me an e-mail.
 




July 2006 Kline's Corners